Looking Through Shattered Glass
by Hikari Minamoto
Summary: TenTen seems to have fallen for Neji, but will his cold and sometimes insensitive demeanor push her away? Sometimes, a tragedy is what it takes to reveal someone's true feelings... [NejiTen & a little SakuLee] [[COMPLETE]]
1. Falling for You

**Looking Through Shattered Glass**

**By: Hikari Minamoto**

**_Disclaimer_****: I don't own Naruto or any of these characters...that right is solely Mr. Masashi Kishimoto's**

**_A/C:_ I warn you all - there is definately some OOC-ness going on. If you like hardcore characters that never stray from the original versions, this might not be for you! However, if you're not bothered about it, read on!**

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**Chapter 1****: Falling for You**

_Thwack!!_

The kunai hit the mark perfectly. Of course. As always, Konoha's weapon's mistress had complete control over where her tool landed. This one was placed right above Lee's ridiculous bowl-shaped hairstyle, mere centimeters from his quivering skull.

"Nice one, TenTen!" he complimented enthusiastically with his signature thumbs-up gesture and large smile. "You've never missed. I am personally still amazed at your skill!"

Maito Gai struck a gorgeous pose beside them. "Ah, the beauty of youth! TenTen, never fail to remember this! Youth! This is source of your ability. I firmly believe it, as should you...Lee!"

"Yes, Gai-sensei!!" He saluted and snapped into a rigid position.

"On three, ready?!"

"Ready!"

The two put their hands together as if for a cheer and immediately began chanting "YOUTH! YOUTH! THE BEAUTY OF YOUTH!" over and over. It lasted for several moments until Gai suggested running the parameter of Konoha. Lee, of course, suggested doing it twice. Then Gai made it three times, and off they went at full speed. TenTen sighed. Now at least she'd have some peace and quiet.

_Thwack!!_..._Thwack!!._..

Neji had had to leave early for something, but he hadn't told anyone what it was about. Ah well. He liked his privacy...but it _did_ make her curious. Was he meeting someone? If so, what for? Was it a date?!

_**Thwack!!**_

She'd thrown it a lot harder on accident, burying it rather deep into the bark of the tree. Great. Now it'd take forever to get it out. The kunoichi sighed heavily and trotted over to start on her new task. Retrieve the kunai! After a few minutes, she'd shimmied it free, but it looked like it'd need some sharpening. She stared at the knife hard for a moment. Then, without warning, she started to furiously chop at the tree with it.

"Damn you...Neji!!...Damnit!..._Damnit!_" she cursed aloud, hacking at the bark. Finally, an exhausted TenTen dropped the kunai and dropped to the ground, panting heavily. She sat back and surveyed the damage done. The tree was in pretty bad shape. No doubt about that. But why did she just go psycho like that? It wasn't like her. Well...she usually only went psycho on Lee, but he had to _really_ provoke her.

"Um, TenTen?"

She froze. Her heart started pounding wildly. How long had he been standing there?! Had he heard her curse?

"Y-Yes?"

"What were you doing just now?" Neji eyed her carefully, his arms crossed across his chest. He looked...confused. And maybe a little annoyed. But mostly confused...

"Um..."

He raised an eyebrow, waiting for a response. Those exotic pearly eyes focused intently on her. It always made her nervous for some reason, and now she actually had good reason to be. "U-Um...well, you see...I was trying this new thing that Gai-sensei was telling Lee about. Something about focusing anger..." A complete lie, but hey. At least it provided some sort of excuse, right? "And Lee always trains much harder when he's thinking about fighting you, so I just wanted to see if it would do something for me." She bit her lip, praying that he would buy it.

Neji continued to stare at her. "...Well, did it? "

"Heh-heh...um, no. Actually, it didn't really..." She lied again. He had made her really angry and he hadn't actually done anything! That's the whole reason she was standing here being scrutinized.

"Hn."

"_That's all he can say?! 'Hn'??? And after he saw me (not to mention __**heard**__ me) doing that? H-He doesn't believe me! That's what it is!"_ she thought frantically, tugging at one of her buns in a nervous fashion. TenTen decided to change the subject. "So...where did you go today, Neji? It's not like you to miss training."

The Hyuuga glanced up at her as he started picking up kunai. "Hanabi needed an escort and Hiashi wanted me to do it," he stated simply.

"Oh, I see." A flood of relief washed over TenTen. So it wasn't a date after all!

"Why do you ask?" Neji walked the kunai back to their owner.

"Um, no reason. I just was curious...thanks for the help," she said with a smile.

He only nodded in reply and started doing a few stretches. It looked like he was going to train a bit before dark. His forms were perfect. Such grace and yet such power...He was so beautiful... TenTen felt herself blushing suddenly at this thought. Willing herself to look away, the kunoichi coughed awkwardly and started tossing a kunai up in the air as leisurely as if it were a rubber ball or some coin.

"TenTen?"

She turned and nearly dropped the knives when she saw him looking intently at her with those wondrous eyes.

"Y-Yes?" she replied nervously.

"I need your help again, today. Would you mind staying for a bit longer?"

"Sure thing, Neji. I don't mind." As the brunette started pulling out some scrolls, a flurry of excitement rushed through her body. Training with Neji was one of her favorite things to do, mostly because they got to spend some time together without Lee or Gai-sensei interrupting. Even if they didn't really talk or "bond", it was still time she treasured. "Ready?"

The Hyuuga nodded and dropped into his fighting stance. "Any time."

TenTen took a deep breath before making some hand seals and slamming the scrolls down on either side of her. "Right then! _Sōshōryū!_" Immediately, a huge cloud of smoke appeared, followed by a strong gale. Two huge dragons rose out of the mist and high into the air. TenTen grinned and launched herself straight up between them. The dragons started to rotate around her body, faster and faster, until they disappeared altogether, leaving her two scrolls. The kunoichi began firing all sorts of weaponry at Neji, aiming for the vital areas.

Neji's eyes focused on the incoming projectiles. "_Byakugan!_" Now he could see all of them as individual kunai, shuriken, or whatever. Everything looked a lot slower as well. As the weapons came closer, Neji began focusing his chakra outwards. "_Hakkeshō Kaiten!" _

TenTen smiled as she continued her attack. She knew nothing would hit Neji. It never did. The girl wondered how much longer he'd ask her to train with him. There wasn't much else she could really do beside this, was there? He was brilliant, and she was...mediocre in comparison. Well, maybe she could try that new jutsu she'd been working on... The girl sighed inwardly. It would be useless. All she had was her weapons, her speed, and her accuracy. No kekkei genkai for her. Heck, she didn't even really know where she came from. She had no idea what her last name was, no clan history, nothing. Did that make her a nobody? When introductions were made, all she could say was "My name's TenTen..." and that was the end of it.

All these bitter thoughts made her focus waver a bit. The kunoichi wasn't able to keep up her chakra flow, making for certain disaster. Next thing she knew, her body was plummeting towards the ground far below. TenTen shut her eyes tight and tried to maneuver her body around so it'd be a safe landing. However, things weren't working out so well. She'd been exhausted before this extra training and simply didn't have enough left in her. "I wonder how much this'll hurt..." she heard herself say.

Three...Two...One...

Impact? Wait...She should be senseless and crippled on the ground right now, but...TenTen opened her eyes and found herself looking right at Neji, their faces mere inches from each other. She'd almost forgot he was here with her! It soon became apparent that he had rushed over to catch her when she'd lost focus. A leap into the air, a heroic grab, a bit of rolling around, and voile! Here they were! It really shouldn't have been awkward…but it was. Big time.

Those exotic pearlescent orbs lingered on her sepia ones, unsure of what to do now. His arms were wrapped tightly around her, and his breath was warm against her neck. TenTen felt herself blushing at their closeness. Neji also felt the blood rush to his cheeks, but prayed the dusk would hide it. After a moment, he carefully let go of her and stood up again.

"You need to be more careful, TenTen. Why did you train with me even though you were exhausted? Your actions were far from wise."

TenTen sighed inwardly. "Sorry, Neji. I just wanted to help you out if I could…I'll be more careful next time. Promise." The brunette kunoichi got up and tried to steady herself. Phew! That had been close. Thank God for Neji.

"It's getting dark. We can always train again tomorrow." Neji paused awkwardly for a moment. "…I'll walk you home since Lee's still running laps with Gai-sensei."

TenTen tried to hide her surprise. Neji hardly ever walked her home! Maybe in all four years they'd trained together he'd done it three times…at most. "Well, alright. I think I can make it home by myself though. You've done a lot for me already, Neji. I'd hate to be a bother."

"It's not a bother. I'd like to make sure my teammate is safe, and Lee isn't here to ensure that. So tonight I will." He started walking towards her house on the far side of town.

TenTen smiled. "Alright, well thanks, Neji. Hey, wait up!"

It was a brisk pace the Hyuuga set. They arrived shortly, but TenTen was nearly out of breath. She gasped her thanks and started to head in when Neji stopped her.

"Please make sure that you rest well, tonight. I'd hate to see something happen to you because of me. If I hadn't asked you…" He looked away, obviously tormented that he had nearly hurt her tonight.

She tugged at her two buns and laughed. "It's fine! I should have been more aware. Guess that will teach me, right? Well, goodnight, Neji. And thanks again."

"Goodnight, TenTen."

After she closed the door, the kunoichi smiled widely. So many thoughts and emotions were swirling around inside her! Just the way he had held her so tenderly…and then he had walked her home too!? This was more than she could have asked for. TenTen suddenly realized something. How it happened, she had no idea. But one thing was for sure.

"I…I think I love you, Hyuuga Neji …" she whispered painfully into the darkness.


	2. All the Hurt

**Chapter 2****: All the Hurt**

After their little "moment" last night, TenTen couldn't stop thinking about Neji. The way his arms felt around her waist, his breath on her neck, his skin against hers...it was breathtaking. She hadn't wanted it to end. If only they could have stayed that way forever...if only it hadn't been an accident.

"TenTen!"

"Y-Yes, Gai-sensei?"

"I _said_ 'on three'!! We must show Team Kakashi the might of Team Gai (no pun intended)!"

She looked over at Team Kakashi, then back to her own Team Gai. All her teammates had their hands in, ready for a cheer - including Neji. However, he looked rather perturbed and very unwilling to do it. The kunoichi sighed and put her hand in as well. "Yes, sir." She noticed that Neji's hand was under hers. A slight blush rose to her cheeks as she mumbled the cheer; Lee and Gai were shouting at the top of their lungs; Neji merely stood with his eyes closed and brow furrowed. TenTen smiled a bit. He was so cute when he was annoyed. Strange how she hadn't noticed little things like this before now.

The Hyuuga suddenly opened his eyes and looked straight into hers, giving her an odd look. He'd caught her red-handed.

TenTen's blush heightened as she quickly looked away. Great. He'd seen her! He probably thought she was some kind of psycho now.

After the cheer was finished and the two teams began to part, TenTen felt someone catch her hand. "Sakura? What's the matter?"

"I should be asking _you_ that!" retorted the pink-haired kunoichi. "You've been acting funny the whole time, and your cheeks are flushed. Do you have a fever?!" Sakura put a hand on her friend's forehead to check.

"N-No, Sakura! I'm fine! Just a bit tired, but..."

"No 'buts'! You're coming to the hospital for a check up. Let's go!"

TenTen groaned. Once Sakura was set on something, that was the end of it. She allowed the pink-haired girl to pull her along towards the building at the other end of the village, its white walls looming ominously ahead of them. "Sakura, really I'm fine. I need to meet for training and Gai-sensei is going to make me run laps if I'm late and don't have a good reason. You've seen how he is!"

Sakura frowned and increased her pace. "Well, I guess you'll have to run laps then, but I'm not going to let you go without making sure that you're 100 percent okay!"

The brunette finally conceded and stopped protesting. It was obviously a waste of breath anyways.

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"Has anyone seen TenTen?" Lee asked curiously in between his 13th and 14th set of push-ups. "I thought she was right behind us when we left. However, that was more than 47 minutes ago! It would be out of character for her to 'play hooky' as Naruto says."

Neji stopped throwing kunai for a minute. "You're right, but what are we to do about it? If she decided to skip, then that's her business. Not ours."

"Oooor...what if she's on a date?! Maybe with Naruto?" Lee's eyes got all wide and sparkly. "Ah, the joy of Youth. It truly is a wonderful thing...and that leaves Sakura open for me!" He blushed and giggled and did a little pirouette.

Neji's eyebrow twitched. "Imbecile..." he muttered irritably, returning to target practice. Like TenTen would skip training to go on a date. And with _Naruto _of all people! Besides, everyone knew the blonde had a thing for Sakura, and TenTen had never skipped practice ever. And for a _date_?! Ridiculous! Why would she rather spend time with Naruto than with him? Wait...Neji tried to shake it off. What was up? Why was he thinking like this? If TenTen wanted to, she should be able to spend time with whoever she wished.

He sighed heavily. The happenings of last night had weighed heavy on his mind as they had on hers. This had to stop before it went too far. They were just friends...teammates and nothing more.

Gai suddenly poofed in and struck a gorgeous pose. "Hola my estudiantes!" he shouted.

Lee saluted. "Greetings, Gai-sensei!"

"Lee, Neji. Gather around me." He put his arms around their shoulders and dramatically struggled to hold back his tears. "I'm afraid I have terrible news. Our lovely TenTen...the epitome of Youth...has been struck down by a terrible ailment." Gai started sobbing loudly. Lee joined in. Neji remained silent, but he was obviously shocked and not recovering very well.

"W-What do you mean, 'ailment'?"

"I can't say, but she was hospitalized just after our cheer. What a soldier! Even though she was on the brink of death, our beautiful TenTen stayed to celebrate the joys of youth one last time!"

Lee sniffed. "We must visit her immediately, Gai-sensei! Who knows how much time she has left on this earth?!"

"Right, Lee! Double-time to Konoha Hospital!"

"No, Gai-sensei! Triple-time!"

"No, Lee. _Quadruple_-time!! Team Gai – head out!"

With that, they all shot off. Usually, Neji would have protested against such a heavy pace, but today it seemed perfectly sensible. In fact, even at such a speed, it wasn't fast enough for him. Worry racked his brain mercilessly. The young Hyuuga prayed that it was nothing serious.

When they finally arrived, he practically shouted at the nurse when she had to look up the room number. Lee and Gai had to apologize profusely as Neji took off running after she told them "Room 307".

He burst into the room, his heart racing more wildly than he'd ever remembered before. There she lay – dressed in the white patients' robes, an IV stuck in the smooth skin of her forearm. She was staring blankly at the ceiling when he ran in. The two sepia orbs shifted over and met his pearly ones in surprise.

"N-Neji?! Why are you here?"

"Why do you suppose? We heard you were sick! Lee and Gai are here with me too," he replied coolly.

"Oh, well you shouldn't have bothered...who told you I was sick?!"

"Gai did. He made it sound like you were dying...You're not, are you?" Even though he was trying desperately to remain stoic, Neji was having a rather hard time of it. His voice quivered slightly.

TenTen smiled, a slight blush gracing her cheeks. "No. Definitely not. Sakura dragged me here earlier and insisted I stay overnight. I tried to tell her that I was just tired, but she never listens!" She shrugged and shook her head. "I hope Lee and Gai didn't start crying."

"They did."

"Well, that was half-expected. I'm sorry to have worried them though. They're so sweet." She looked out her window and sighed wistfully. Neji wasn't sure what about however. He shifted uncomfortably and opened his mouth to say something when Lee and Gai burst in.

"TenTen!" Gai sobbed dramatically.

Lee threw himself across her bed, tears flowing freely. "TenTen! I thought I'd never see you again! At least now we can say our good...our goodbyes!!" He buried his face in the blankets and began to sob.

"Goodbyes?" she asked, quite confused.

"Lee, Gai-sensei. Nothing is wrong with her. In fact, she's quite alright."

"Really?! TenTen, thank God! Our flower of Youth is safe!" shrieked Gai, kneeling by her side. "You know what this means don't you? For skipping practice today, you must run 20 laps around the hospital!"

"Uh, sure thing, Gai-sensei. I'll get on it as soon as Sakura signs me out," she replied miserably.

After a while, Sakura did indeed return, releasing TenTen from her bedridden state. However, she scolded Gai for being so hard on the poor girl. As Sakura continued her lecture, TenTen changed in the bathroom and then stood, waiting patiently to see if she'd still have to run the 20 laps.

Neji was pissed. For one thing, Gai was actually making her run laps after being in the hospital for crying out loud! However, the thing that bothered him most was the fact that TenTen thought only Gai and Lee were capable of worrying about her. What a load of crap! He was worried sick about her, but did she see that? No!

"Neji?" The brunette stepped a bit closer to him. "What's the matter?" she whispered.

He turned away irritably. "Nothing," he replied.

"O-Oh, okay. You looked annoyed about something. Are you sure noth—"

"I said it's _nothing_!" he snapped viciously.

TenTen was taken aback. He rarely spoke to her like this. The poor girl flushed painfully and turned away so he wouldn't see the hurt. "Sorry I asked! Guess I won't try to care anymore..." she retorted angrily, growing defensive.

Sakura and Gai stopped arguing and turned to see what all the commotion was.

Neji clenched his fists. "Perhaps you shouldn't. You can't afford to waste your precious feelings on me – a cold, heartless monster incapable of feeling anything!"

She whirled around to face him again. "Then I won't! You're right! You are heartless, you stupid jerk!"

"Oh, that's right. Even if I was worried sick about you today, I'm still heartless. I'm glad you think so highly of me, TenTen." The sarcasm dripping from his words was more bitter than usual. Lee flinched unconsciously. He'd never gotten this from Neji, and Neji didn't even like him all that much.

TenTen was at a loss for fighting words. "Y-You...were worried about...me?"

Neji scoffed and waved her off coldly. "I was, but that was a mistake." His back was turned so he couldn't see her run from the room with tears running down her face. He only heard the stifled sob and clatter of heels as she left.

Sakura was glaring furiously at Neji with her fiery green eyes. "She's right. You _are_ heartless..." she spat before heading after her friend.

Gai and Lee merely stood gaping. They'd never seen this side of Neji. Usually he was so...stoic!

"Such passion..." murmured Gai.

"Such...ungentlemanly behavior!" retorted Lee. "Poor TenTen did not deserve those harsh words. Neji, you should be deeply ashamed for treating her so badly!"

The young Hyuuga scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. His response was merely silence. Gai and Lee left after a moment to see if TenTen needed a few words of encouragement. Neji fumed angrily. How was he in the wrong her?! She was the one who had been so judgmental. Jeez, she was so..._annoying_ sometimes! Suddenly, he was wracked with guilt and an increasingly familiar sense of worry. How much had he hurt her this time? Neji had to find her.

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**And that's it so far for Chapter 2! Hope you guys are enjoying it. Please review if you feel inclined to do so.**

**- Hikari**


	3. The Stage is Set for Tragedy

**Chapter 3:**** The Stage is Set for Tragedy**

The brunette sat in her favorite perch high above the ground in a large, leafy maple tree. It was where she went to work out her personal problems. And this was definitely a personal problem. The big tears rolled slowly down her flushed cheeks until her hand angrily brushed them away. "Stupid jerk…" she muttered to a curious bird. "I can't believe he said that! But…I was at fault too. We're both terribly insensitive I suppose, Mr. Sparrow…"

Suddenly, she sensed a strong chakra presence approach then stop at the base of her tree. "Sakura, I'm not going back to the hospital! I already told you before, and if you came for something else, I don't want to talk about it with you!" she shouted down.

"Would you talk about it with me?" said a masculine voice.

TenTen was shocked speechless for a moment. She hadn't expected this at all. "N-Neji?" she stammered nervously. "What are you…why are you here?"

He sighed and looked up at the kunoichi. "I want to apologize for what I said earlier. Will you come down so we can talk?"

TenTen jumped down like he'd asked. He noticed her sepia eyes were a bit duller than usual. And were those the remnants of tears? "Neji, I wanted to tell you I'm sorry too!" she blurted out suddenly. "I was insensitive and should have known – I mean we've been teammates for five years now and I –"

Neji put his hand over her mouth to make her stop. "TenTen, listen to me. I know I'm not the most…emotional person, so I don't hold it against you. However, I was angry – furious actually –and I didn't handle myself well. Please forgive me. I am truly sorry for what I said to you." His hand moved from her mouth to cheek and gently brushed away her tears.

TenTen nodded and attempted a smile. His tenderness was unnerving. She'd never seen him like this, but…it was oddly satisfying. "I forgive you," she whispered. Her hand lifted to meet his ever so shyly. Neji was rather surprised, but kept his hand on her nevertheless.

Both of them stood silently, pearly eyes locked on sepia. Neither knew what to do next until the moment was completely destroyed by a familiar "Ah, the joys of Youth!"

Neji's hand retreated quickly, a slight flush upon his cheeks. TenTen cursed inwardly at her sensei. Why did he always pop in at the worst times?! It was like he had a knack for it or something.

Gai approached the pair with a mischievous grin. "Soooo…what were you doing there, Neji? The gorgeous atmosphere of spring getting' to ya'?" he asked, one eyebrow raised and that stupid grin plastered to his face.

Neji scowled. "I think not. I merely apologized in order to repair our relationship as teammates. If one of us is unfocused during a mission, it could mean failure and I was not going to be the one responsible for that."

The brunette kunoichi stared in disbelief. She felt like shouting, "I'm right here, hello!"

Gai shook his head. "If you insist…Well, speaking of missions, Tsunade-sama has given us a new endeavor to undertake!" he shouted, changing the subject like a kid with ADD. "She has so generously assigned us an A-ranked mission, so pack up my students! We're off to the Claw nation in one hour!" And with that he poofed away, leaving the two alone again. Yet, the air was rather tense. Neji knew he shouldn't have spoken so rashly yet again, and TenTen's feelings were smarting as the words echoed in her head.

"TenTen – "

"Well, seeya' soon. I've gotta pack now," she said, cutting him off and not caring. She gave a half-hearted wave and took off.

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Back in her apartment, TenTen roughly threw several outfits into her satchel. She was mad. Furious rather. Well, it was better to get it out here anyways before it made her unfocused for the mission, and Neji could not be responsible for that! Oh no, God forbid! _BANG_! She slammed her drawers, searching for hygienic necessities. Who the hell did he think he was anyways?! _THWACK_! She launched on offending scroll across the room. This is why they weren't really friends. He was so…_insensitive_! Neji didn't seem to care anything about how anyone else felt. Lee was such a sweetheart, and Neji was such an ass.

TenTen groaned and flopped onto her bed. Why was he like that? She'd have to chat with Lee. He'd understand, right? After all, they were best buds. The bushy-browed boy listened to everything she had to say and she in turn did the same for him. The kunoichi glanced over at her clock. Damn. Time to go. She heaved a sigh and rolled off the bed, relishing in the pain of hitting the floor with a thud. TenTen waved goodbye to her apartment, then headed over to meet her team.

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The entire way there, TenTen refused to look at (let alone speak to) Neji. However, she kept up a steady stream of chatter with Lee and Gai, acting much more cheery than usual. However, no one said anything so she supposed they must not have noticed.

"So, Lee…" she said mischievously.

"What is it, TenTen?" And why are you looking at me like that?" he replied worriedly.

"How are you and Sakura doing? Still just friends?"

Lee flushed and giggled girlishly. "Sadly yes. However, I will prove my love to her eventually! She already knows that I would give my life to protect hers!" he made a fist, his eyes burning with determination.

TenTen giggled. "I'm sure things will work out between you two eventually. Sakura's lucky to have someone like you, Lee. Someone who'd die for her." Her tone took a more serious turn, one marked with sadness as well.

Her friend put a hand on her shoulder. "Do not fear, TenTen. I would die for you as well! And so would Gai-sensei!"

"Indeed I would!" he joined in.

TenTen smiled a bit. It was sweet of them to say that, but definitely not the same. "Thanks…" she managed to finally choke out.

Neji was the only one who hadn't said anything. Well, it's not like she expected anything special from him. But then…why did it hurt so much? This was wrong. She didn't want to feel this way. Feel this hurt.

They were near the destination now. Gai and Lee had decided on three times the normal pace, so it had only taken two days to reach the Claw country. Team Gai reported to the client who explained the situation. Apparently, a gang called the "Unlucky 13" ran a local casino/club/bar thing just outside the city. Normally, it wouldn't be that big a deal, but lately all the girls were disappearing and nobody knew where they went. Gai promised to resolve the problem and the team headed out.

"Alright! This is how it's gonna go down." Gai laid out an elaborate plan that seemed like it'd never work, but they all knew it would. It always did. However, this time, TenTen was particularly not fond of it since she was to be used as the bait. When she protested, Gai told her that it was either her or Neji and since Neji gave them both a death glare at that idea, Gai went with TenTen. She'd be wearing a tracking device and have a few scrolls in her handbag. Gai assured her that they'd all be there with her, just out of sight. Besides, these punks were just a bunch of thugs. No way could anything go wrong. Right? Wrong. So wrong….


	4. What Was I Thinking?

**Chapter 4: What Was I Thinking? **

"Wha-What the _hell_ is this?!" she shrieked, looking at the outfit. The tight bodice and strappy corset design paired with some sexy high heels seemed a bit...overly suggestive. TenTen flat out refused to wear it. "Gai-sensei, I'm not going to go out looking like a prostitute! I'm not!"

"TenTen, _please_," he pleaded. "You have to be as enticing as possible!"

Lee joined in. "Yes, TenTen! Please! It will only be for a little while."

She frowned and opened her mouth to refuse again when Neji cut in, speaking for the first time all day. "Just wear the dress. We all have to do our part, so why don't you do yours? Quit complaining."

Well that was...shocking to hear. If she had been mad at him before, this just made her furious. Then TenTen just smiled. The anger melted away. She realized something at that moment. It wasn't worth it. Neji was right anyway.

"Sorry, Gai-sensei. Neji is right. I was just worried about being...you know...taken advantage of or something..."

"Please. No one is going to touch you." Crap. Neji just realized it had come out wrong. He'd meant to say that she'd be safe, not make it sound like she was disgusting. However, that's how she took it. Gai and Lee stared at him blankly, disbelieving that he would actually say...that!

TenTen also stared, but her eyes showed hurt and she had flushed painfully. She forced a laugh and turned to go put on the outfit. "Right...what was I thinking?"

After she left, Gai frowned deeply at the Hyuuga. "Neji, your words were completely unacceptable! You should never talk to a lady like that! Especially a teammate. Were you serious when you told me you wouldn't be responsible for causing a teammate to lose focus?!" He was practically shouting.

Lee had clenched his fists. His humongous eyebrows furrowed in anger. "Neji Hyuuga! How can you call yourself a man when you have treated poor TenTen in such a disgraceful manner?! She is my best friend, and I will not stand by while you continue on in this fashion!"

Gai set a hand on Lee's shoulder. "No, Lee. Do not resort to violence. Look into my eyes and notice my manly features as I tell you this. We have said what needs to be said and now..._TenTen!_" he exclaimed.

Neji, who'd been standing rigidly with his eyes closed during the spiel, sighed and opened them slightly. Bad move. The stoic Hyuuga felt his jaw drop. A first for him actually. TenTen looked...amazing!

She sheepishly adjusted the low cut bodice, trying to cover up a bit from their shocked eyes. The black corset fit her torso tightly, showing off her back, shoulders, and a nice amount of cleavage. However, the skirt was made of tulle and silk - poofing out like a ball gown. It came to about her knees, exposing her tones calves. Her feet were clad in strappy high-heeled sandals, completing the outfit...almost. She was desperately trying to put on this delicate lacey choker, but seemed to be having a hard time of it.

"A little help, someone? Please? I can't get the stupid clasp," she muttered.

The thought of Lee or Gai putting their hands on her horrified Neji, so he blurted out "Fine. I'll do it." She nodded (was it miserably?) and walked over - heels clacking on the floor, dress swaying back and forth with her hips. TenTen placed the necklace in his hand and turned around.

Neji swallowed hard. Her smooth olive skin, slender neck, and bare shoulders were driving him insane. This wasn't like him at all – what was going on? He steadied his hands and carefully put the jewelry in its proper place. "I did not mean it like that..." he whispered quietly. "I beg your forgiveness however. I should have thought about my words more carefully..."

The brunette didn't reply except for a curt "Thanks for the help." It was short and it was cold. Bitterly cold. TenTen moved away from him, over to Lee and their sensei.

"Alright. Let's get this over with. I'm really not impressed with this dress, though I'm sure a few guys might be..." she mumbled desolately. "Oh, almost forgot." TenTen undid her ninja band and let down her hair. The silky brown strands cascaded down her shoulders until they reached mid-back. "Okay. _Now_ I'm ready."

Neji cursed inwardly. He hadn't liked this plan from the start, but now he absolutely hated it. Who knew how many dirtbags would be all over her?! And he couldn't do anything about it...That's what sucked the most.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

After arriving at the club, TenTen was admitted and waved goodbye to her team (who was actually hiding in the bushes...so it looked a little weird for her to be waving at a bush). It was obvious that she was nervous. Who wouldn't be? Lee, Gai, and Neji took off and assumed their positions around the area, waiting for something, anything to happen. And it eventually did. TenTen's tracker suddenly went dead. Gai panicked and gave the command to go in.

Gladly they rushed to her rescue. The pounding music and darkened room with only flashing lights to illuminate it made things difficult. Finally, it was determined that TenTen – their sweet weapon's mistress – was most definitely missing.

Neji prayed that nothing serious happened to the girl. He wasn't sure what he'd do if that was the case. Frantically he searched. And he found nothing.

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**Alrighty! Sorry it took so long to update. I didn't think anyone was actually reading this! xP The chapter's a little short, but if I added the next part, it'd be a killer to read. Anyways, to those of you who have favorited/commented on this story (you know who you are), I love you guys!! Next chapter will be up soon...hopefully...**

**- Hikari**


	5. Shattered

**Chapter 5****: Shattered**

Days went by and still nothing. It was as if she'd disappeared into thin air. None of Team Gai got any sleep whatsoever. They were simply too upset - Neji most of all. He questioned why it'd taken this to realize how much TenTen had meant to him. She was more than just a teammate. To the Hyuuga, she was much more than that. There was this deep aching that had set into his heart now, and it wouldn't go away no matter how hard he tried to make it so. If only there was word that she was safe - that she had just been playing an elaborate hoax on them all... He'd forgive her, even if she'd scared them all half to death. He'd forgive her in an instant.

Neji had grown to detest Gai. It was his fault TenTen was gone. He'd come up with this damn plan after all. It was his fault. It had to be his fault. It had to be _someone's_ fault, right?

Then a clue! Some suspicious activity was going on at the border of Fang and Claw - "suspicious" as in slave trading...of young girls. So off they went.

Within a few hours, the team spotted the warehouse they had been tipped off about. Two shinobi were posted outside as guards. TenTen's accuracy would have been put to good use in this situation, but Team Gai had to improvise. So instead, Lee took them out with his amazing speed before they alerted anyone inside.

Gai took the 2nd floor, Lee took the ground floor, and Neji got the basement. He descended into the darkness cautiously, activating the Byakugan so it'd be easier to see. What he found nearly shocked him senseless. Girls. Everywhere. And the bad thing wasn't even that they'd been shoved down in this dark, dank hole. They were shackled and in cages – every single one of them. What kind of sick joke was this? The Hyuuga moved among the metal boxes quietly, hearing many of the girls whimpering or crying in anguish. _"Please...Please don't let TenTen be here. Please don't let me find her..." _he prayed silently. But it was in vain.

Neji almost missed her, but then he sensed a familiar chakra presence – it was very faint, but it was definitely there. "TenTen?" he whispered hoarsely, kneeling down to the girl. Her eyes were glazed over and had a far-off look in them. Her beautiful hands clutched the bars weakly; her forehead rested against the cool metal. The dainty dress had been replaced with a ragged cotton yukata that all the girls seemed to be wearing, and TenTen's silky sepia locks were a tangled and bedraggled mess at this point. But her eyes...those beautiful eyes that sparkled and danced like the stars...it looked like someone had sucked the very life right out of them, leaving only the empty shell of a girl.

He had to repeat her name when there was no answer. "TenTen?"

It took a moment, but finally something sparked. "Neji..." she said listlessly, her eyes barely moving. "...Why are you here?"

The words shocked him. "W-What?! What do you mean 'why'? We're here to save you from this wretched prison!"

Her eyes lifted to meet his slowly. Then she gave a half-hearted, slightly hysterical laugh. "Why couldn't you save me that night?" she choked suddenly. "Why didn't any of you come to help me...I needed you, but nobody came. Nobody...came..." her voice faltered, and she dropped her eyes again. "Now it's too late. All of you...are _worthless_..."

Her words stung. They made the ache in Neji's heart only deepen in intensity. "TenTen...let's go. It's time to return home." He reached for her hand, but the brunette pulled it away quickly.

"No. Leave now! They'll come back and kill you, then...then hurt me. Please leave before you give me any more pain."

"T-Ten...Ten..."

Her listless eyes darted up to him. "All you do is give me grief. Ever since we were put on the same team, you've treated me like a _dog_. All I was good for was helping you train... Outside of that, you wouldn't give me the time of day! This is just another mission to you, so no. I won't go with you." TenTen's voice quieted. "I have to nothing to return to now. I might as well live out my life this way...at least I'll be worth something to someone."

"Would you listen to what you're saying?!" he cut in. "You're in a cage! You're filthy! You're being abused! Why would anyone even _consider_ remaining in this situation?!"

TenTen turned and pulled away from that side of her prison. "I don't know," she muttered. "I don't know about anything anymore. I don't think I really care about anything now. But...one thing I do know...**I'm through with being a shinobi**."

"TenTen!" The words shocked Neji as they echoed in his mind.

Her hands tightened into fists. "When I signed up for this, I agreed to help the village. NOT get kidnapped and...and..." The brown eyes clouded over as she sunk back into despair. "I thought I'd have others to rely on...to help me when I needed it. I was wrong."

Neji began applying some kind of acid to the lock in silence. His head was spinning. He had to get her out. He had to get her home where he could keep her safe – away from whoever had done this to her. She wasn't thinking clearly. Yes, that was it – the shock was affecting her mind. There was no way that TenTen – the girl he'd trained with for over five years now – could just throw away all that in one moment. "I'm going to get you out either way. I think you know how I feel about leaving teammates behind."

The kunoichi stiffly eyed the Hyuuga. She knew that he would probably disable her if need be. Suddenly a loud crash from above sent all the girls screaming and crying even louder. Neji cursed in silence. Lee or Gai had most likely found the culprits, and it sounded like they'd already engaged in combat. Well, no time to sit around and wait for acid to eat away at the lock. The young shinobi swiftly pulled out a kunai and jammed it into the keyhole. The already weakened device groaned, then shattered into several pieces.

"Let's go." Neji grabbed hold of her shackles and with a swift blow from the kunai, the chain snapped – leaving his teammate free at last. However, she refused to move. Whether it was from shock or sheer obstinacy, he couldn't tell. But one thing was for sure – they weren't going to stick around much longer. The Hyuuga grabbed her by the hand and tugged, forcing her to follow him. The cries of the other girls begging to be freed as well had to be shut out, but a sharp blow to his wrist told him otherwise. TenTen's eyes were narrowed in cold fury.

"Until they are freed, I will make your life a living hell." Her expression let him know she wasn't kidding. Neji had seen how she could be with Lee when she got mad, and he knew it was even more serious now.

"Fine." He dropped her hand and ran back to start opening more cages. It took at least ten minutes and it was a bit tiring, but finally it was done. "There. Now we leave," said the boy.

"...Not so fast..." A burly, deep voice demanded. What the hell? Where did he come from? Neji eyed this newcomer cautiously. He was tall and heavy-set and looked like he needed a serious bath. The Hyuuga heard some girls start whimpering and crying again. "I believe you're taking what doesn't belong to you..."

TenTen had unconsciously flinched at this man's voice. The look in her eyes told Neji that this man had caused her much pain...and that was enough to incite a deep hatred for him. "I'm going to destroy you. You will pay for what you've done..." he snarled.

The man chuckled and pulled out a massive blade that reminded Neji of a butcher's knife. "Alright, let's see what you've got, little man."

"_Hakke Kūshō!_" The blow sent the man flying backwards until he was smashed against the opposite wall. "Would you like another taste?" asked Neji venomously.

"W-What the -- ?" The giant staggered to his feet once more, quite shaken and bruised. Obviously, he wasn't a shinobi. Neji faintly remembered the briefing before the mission. Gai had said that the "Unlucky 13" were only a bunch of thugs. That's right...But it didn't matter. The young genius rushed forward until he was within range - his Byakugan fully activated and ready for anything.

"_Hakke Hyaku Nijūhachi Shō! _I will ensure that you never hurt another innocent again!_"_

Waaaay overkill. It was double his usual sixty-four palms and reserved for striking multiple targets. Yet, Neji didn't seem to care. Anyone who dared to touch TenTen...no amount of physical pain could be enough for them. When he had finished, the man stopped moving. Was he even breathing? Well, if he wasn't, Neji didn't care. Suddenly something whirred by his leg and stopped with a thud – right in the man's skull. He looked up breathlessly to see TenTen holding several kunai in her left hand, the right hand lowering as if she'd just thrown one of her projectiles. So, that was it...she'd killed him.

"Let's go..." he said, returning to TenTen and grabbing her hand. She nodded faintly and followed obediently this time. They met up with Gai and Lee who'd finished beating around the other "Unlucky 12". It seemed they'd gone a little overboard as well.

"TenTen!!! Thank God you're safe! We were so worried!" shrieked Gai, breaking into tears. Lee was sobbing too loudly to speak, otherwise he'd probably have said something along similar lines.

She languidly gave a nod, but remained silent. Neji tightened his grip on her hand. He was afraid she'd try to do something...those words she spoke earlier – they were still fresh in his mind. Too fresh to give her free rein. Who knew what the girl would do in this desperate state?

"TenTen..." Gai had grown more serious, realizing the gravity of the situation. "You won't have to talk about this, but you will need to be debriefed once we get back. Alright?"

More silence. Lee looked heartbroken...nearly as much as poor TenTen did. Neji was sure his own heart had been shattered as well. If he hadn't been such a stoic person, the young shinobi might have been brought to tears. The trip home...it would be a long one.

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**H'Okay! Chapter 5 is up! Sorry it's such an angsty, depressing one, but I promise...things might start getting better. ;P**

**Thanks again to all who've read and reviewed! The more reviews I get, the faster I'll update. So you guys can all thank yourselves for the swifty-ness of this latest one. (Haha, "swifty-ness". I don't think that's a real word...)**

**- Hikari**


	6. I Thought I Loved You

**Chapter 6****: I Thought I Loved You**

It was raining. Raining hard too... the streets were flooding over with massive puddles and little streams that seemed to come from everywhere. Neji sighed and turned away from the window. He'd been sitting at home for the entire day and had grown restless. More than anything, he wanted to go visit TenTen, but...

The Hyuuga huffed irritably and sank onto the edge of his bed. It was hopeless. The girl wasn't the same anymore. After they'd returned home three weeks ago from the Claw country, TenTen had been admitted to the hospital immediately after debriefing (which had lasted several hours). She hadn't stayed there long – and it wasn't because she was in top physical condition. In fact, her health was failing then and it still was now. However, being in the hospital only seemed to make her condition worsen at an exponential rate. Heck, she'd even got up on top of her bed and swung the heart rate monitor at an offending Lee (who was the first to visit her). And Lee was her best friend...After that, no one was admitted to her room. It was a direct order of Lady Tsunade.

A few days after Lee had nearly lost his head, the weapon's mistress had been allowed to return home – still refusing to see anyone. Tsunade had to stop in every day to check on her health, but other than that no one went in her apartment and no one came out. People began to speculate about what had happened. It made Neji sick how they talked.

Training had been hellish. Without TenTen, everything was monotonous and dull. Lee's once limitless energy paled, and Gai had seemed quite tense lately. Neji...well, he'd nearly bitten both their heads off on several occasions. All of them, especially the Hyuuga, felt highly responsible for the brunette kunoichi's misery. Neji still felt the searing words eating away at his heart.

"_...all of you...are worthless...All I was ever good for was helping you train...I thought I'd have someone to rely on...I'm through with being a shinobi...I have nothing left to return to..."_

The room suddenly felt very closed in and stuffy. Were the walls shrinking or was it his imagination? He had to get out of here. This was no good. The young genius gruffly exited the Hyuuga grounds and sloshed through the muddy streets, not caring that he was almost instantly soaked to the bone and getting muddier with every step. If he was miserable, maybe it might make up a little bit for what he'd failed to do – protect her.

After several wet moments, he stopped and looked up. It was a little shocking to see he'd unconsciously made his way to her apartment. "I'm losing it..." he muttered desolately through the downpour, turning away. He'd go to somewhere else, somewhere where he knew she wouldn't be right now. Neji wasn't sure if he could ever look into those beautiful sepia orbs again...he was too ashamed.

The going was slow, but he finally made it there – to her tree. It was that tree she always went to to think about stuff, solve her problems and whatnot. Maybe it would do something for him too...who was to say? Neji groaned and let his forehead rest against the wet bark. "TenTen..."

"What do _you_ want?"

The familiar voice made him jump slightly. He'd been too preoccupied to notice her chakra presence. It would have been hard anyways – it was so faint...like she was dying almost...

Neji looked up into the leafy boughs, trying to find her. Sure enough, there sat TenTen. She was dressed in civilian's yukata instead of her usual kunoichi outfit. The Hyuuga also noticed she wasn't wearing her forehead protector. _"...I'm through being a shinobi..."_

The girl coldly glared down at him. He hadn't remembered her eyes to be so...lifeless. It was just like when he'd first found her again. "T-TenTen? Why are you out here? Your health..."

"My health? Like I care," she spat. "If you've come to lecture me, I'm leaving." The former kunoichi stood shakily on her branch and prepared to jump down.

"No, I've not come to lecture...Please don't go..." he pleaded softly. "I...I want to...beg your forgiveness."

She stopped and glanced at him from the corner of eyes, but said nothing.

"I know that I should have protected you – I was careless. I let you out of my sight...I lied when I said no one would touch you. I've failed at protecting...something very dear to me..."

TenTen openly scoffed at these tender words (which were no doubt hard for him to say). "I don't believe what I'm hearing! The great prodigy, Hyuuga Neji, is actually..._apologizing_ to a lowly kunoichi such as me?! Tell me, did Gai-sensei put you up to this? Perhaps Tsunade-sama, hm? She thinks it's putting a strain on my recovery, that's what it is, right?" Her words were dripping with sarcasm. It was obvious she didn't intend to accept his humble apology.

"No, that's not what it is. I came on my own, because I want you to know how sorry I am...how much I regret not being there for you. Please, TenTen...please forgive me."

She smirked and hopped down from her perch so they were eye to eye now. "There's nothing to apologize for. It's not like you did any of this to me, but...now you know. You _will_ know at least," she corrected herself. "How it feels to be treated so coldly by another teammate. No – rather, another person. We won't be seeing much of each other anymore, which suits me just fine. I'm sick of being your little assistant, and I'm sick of always being pushed around by you and your cold-heartedness. Go find someone else to replace me." TenTen spun around and headed off into the woods to be alone. Neji knew she'd catch pneumonia but was so distraught by what he'd just heard, he could barely breathe let alone move.

"I can't..."

She paused. "Excuse me?"

"I said I can't. I can't replace you!" he blurted out, keeping his pearly eyes focused on the mud just between them.

"Oh, it's easy. Just find someone to throw some knives around and you'll be golden!" she said condescendingly, as if to a three-year old.

His hands tightened into fists. "Don't you understand?! Haven't you heard anything I said just now? You...You're precious to me! I want you to stay with us – Lee, Gai-sensei, and me – more than anything! If you leave...I...I don't know..." he faltered.

TenTen's coldness softened into a grief so wretched that few on this earth had ever experienced it. "Why?" she choked out. "_Why_ am I precious to you? Why do you want me to stay?"

Neji gritted his teeth together. "Ngh...I-I...I don't know why..."

His former teammate smiled disbelievingly and shook her head in sadness. "Sorry, then I can't stay. You know something?" The brunette brushed a soggy lock of hair out of her eyes. "I thought I loved you once...but that was obviously a mistake."

Neji froze. "W-What?" he whispered hoarsely.

"I found that it only gave me pain instead of happiness – like what love is supposed to bring you. That's when I realized...I realized what I felt wasn't right. It wasn't right for me. No matter how hard I tried, you only built your damn walls up higher. And guess what, Neji? Now...I'm stuck on the outside for good. I hope you eventually find that happiness I've been so cruelly denied..."

As the rain began to dump in torrents now, the young Hyuuga watched as the girl who'd loved him...and the girl he'd come to love...walked away into the darkness – alone and cold.

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**Wow! I feel so grateful (as Natsuki Takaya would say). Thanks to you reviewers – you really got this story going again. Oh, and in response to one reviewer's question: "Weeeell, I didn't want to outright make anything for sure, but it was more a 'reader-determined' sorta thing. I will say that she was deeply traumatized by whatever happened to her while in captivity, so it is most likely something happened along those lines. I'm so mean to poor TenTen... TT.TT" **

**Again, sorta a short, depressing chapter...sorry. It'll get happier, promise! This isn't an entirely angsty story as you might think.**

**- Hikari**


	7. Dying

**Chapter 7****: Dying**

It had been nearly two years...well, 18 months at least...but it felt like an eternity. Neji was 18 now, just as Lee was, and today...it was her birthday - TenTen's birthday, March ninth. That meant she'd be eighteen like them too. There seemed to be a lot of eighteens in everything lately... Neji shrugged it off. What a weird coincidence.

"Alright, my lovely students! Today, we train harder than ever! Harder than Kakashi's team. Harder than --"

"Naruto!" interrupted Lee.

"_LEEEEEE!?!" _

As the bushy-browed boy turned to answer his sensei, he was knocked back several hundred feet as Gai landed a monstrous punch right to Lee's face. Neji merely stared as the poor boy flew backwards, and then shakily rose to his feet several moments later. "Gai-sensei?!" he sobbed, his eyes huge like a puppy's.

"Lee! I'm so sorry!" cried Gai, running to embrace the sniffling student. "I had no idea that my manly strength could overcome you so easily!"

"Gai-sensei! I forgive you!" The two embraced – tears flowing freely, a beautiful sunset with crashing waves in the background (well, there should have been one at least).

"Pfft..." Neji scowled and returned to his own training. "Ridiculous," he muttered. Team Gai had been a three-man cell for quite some time now. Ever since TenTen had left, nobody felt the need to replace her with another kunoichi. It just wouldn't be the same...not that it was the same now, but they all felt that replacing her would just be like a betrayal somehow. Neji threw a handful of kunai at the target which was exactly 1,000 feet away - quite a challenge for even the most skilled of shinobi. As he expected, not one of them hit the bulls-eye, but...The young prodigy smirked. TenTen had hit that mark hundreds of times and she'd made it look so easy. He wondered if she ever missed the feeling of a kunai in her hands...

"Neji!"

"...yes, Gai-sensei?" he replied tiredly, not too enthusiastic about what he might possibly have to do for this absurd teacher of his.

"What is today?"

"March ninth..."

"And what happens on March ninth?" pushed his teacher.

"...I don't know." Neji was getting irritated. Why couldn't Gai just get to the point? Was there even going to _be_ a point?

"It's TenTen's birthday!" shouted Lee happily, spinning in circles. "We must go wish our dear TenTen a wonderful, youthful day!"

Neji narrowed his eyes. "I'm not going."

Gai gasped dramatically, and Lee toppled over. "But you _have_ to go! It won't be the same without you, Neji! Sakura and Naruto and Ino and Hinata and..._and_..." Lee tried to think of everyone else who had already gone and wished her a happy birthday. "We're the only ones who have failed to give her our best so far! And it is already late in the afternoon – if we do not hurry then we might miss this exciting opportunity!"

"Then go already! It'll only bring her trouble if I go...She wants nothing to do with me." Neji turned away and launched another kunai at the target in irritation, trying to vent somehow.

"Ah, sometimes the joys of Youth are overshadowed by such depressing feelings as these, my young Hyuuga!" said Gai, wagging a finger at the prodigy. "But! If you insist, Lee and I shall proceed to TenTen's apartment! Off, Lee! Double-time to TenTen!"

"No, Gai-sensei! Triple time!"

"Fantastic! Awaaaayyy!!!!"

Neji rolled his eyes as the pair took off. What a bunch of idiots... At least he was alone now with only his thoughts to torment him. The Hyuuga sighed. Despite his refusal, he had desperately wanted to go visit his old teammate. They hadn't spoken ever since that encounter at her tree so many months ago. The words were still fresh upon his mind as if she'd said them yesterday however.

"_Why am I precious to you?"_ He hadn't had an answer for her then. _"Now I'm stuck on the outside for good..." _That couldn't be true...but it was. Sure, they saw each other every so often – mostly in passing as they walked down the streets. Yet she'd only nod politely and continue on her way (and those were the good days...usually TenTen only ignored Neji). The girl would never forgive him. _"I thought I loved you..."_

"TenTen..." Neji sighed ill-humoredly. No matter how he'd tried to forget that once-dauntless, bright-eyed girl, the memory of those beautiful sepia eyes only recaptured his heart anew. Why? Why couldn't he have just told her? _"Why do you want me to stay?"_

He hadn't realized it then, but he did now. The young Hyuuga had fallen for her, and now he'd hit the cement hard enough to shatter bones. So this...this is how _she'd_ felt. It seemed their roles were reversed now – one was desperately in love, but their feelings were struck down by the wall of ice the other had built up between them. He hadn't realized how much pain he'd caused her. Neji began to wonder. Maybe...just maybe...

Hesitating at first, the prodigy decided that he had to see her. Just once. Just one more time...and that would be it. And with all these troubling emotions building up to their breaking point, the Hyuuga headed off to TenTen's.

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"I'm coming!" shouted the brunette at the sound of knocking. It was probably another well-wisher come to remind her yet again that it was her birthday today. All this attention was getting irritating quite quickly. TenTen wondered if she'd be able to hold her tongue and continue smiling for much longer. She'd nearly lost it with Gai and Lee...

TenTen brushed her hair out of her face as she made her way to the door. Ever since she'd left Team Gai, the girl hadn't worn her hair up in her signature style. It was all part of being a kunoichi. She didn't wear her headband anymore – why should she wear her hair like that either?

"I said _I'm coming!!"_ she repeated as the knocks resounded. The brunette roughly opened the door and opened her mouth to say something to this impatient S.O.B., but instead only sucked in a sharp breath. Hyuuga Neji was the _last_ person she'd expected to show up on her doorstep tonight. "N-Neji? Why are you here?"

He smirked a little sadly. Those words sounded so familiar... "I know you don't want me here, but I had to say something. Just hear me out, and then...then I won't bother you again. I won't bring you anymore pain after this...I swear it."

TenTen's eyes grew somewhat sorrowful, but still retained that distinct coldness. "Fine. What is it?" she muttered, looking at the ground between them. "Wait...hold on a moment." The girl retreated into the apartment only to reemerge a few seconds later wearing a pair of geta and a komon instead of her usual yukata. It was cold outside, so she figured she'd better put on something a bit thicker. "The walls are thin and my neighbors' ears are sharp. It'd be wise to go somewhere private...unless you wouldn't mind sharing what you'd like to say with the entire complex." The girl raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Uh, not really..." he replied hesitantly. "What do you have in mind?"

"My tree." She began to walk down the stairs and into the street, which suggested that he should follow suit. The walk was long...as was the awkward silence. Neji could hardly stand it, but he didn't want to ruin this. She had actually agreed to hear him out - it was already more than he had expected. When the pair finally arrived, the sky had already darkened. The moon and stars had collided into the velvety heavens, making for a spectacularly beautiful evening. A perfect atmosphere...

TenTen stopped suddenly at the base of her tree and tentatively reached out to touch the bark, almost as if afraid it would bite her should she touch it too roughly. Neji knew it had been a while since she'd been here.

"This used to be my favorite place to think, you know..." The girl let her hand drop.

"I know," he replied softly. "Does it make you unhappy now?"

"I believe you wanted to tell me something?" she said, avoiding his question.

Neji sighed inwardly. Still so cold... "Yes, I did. TenTen..." He hesitated, unsure if he really wanted to do this. "I know the answer. I know the answer now..."

She looked confused. "What are you talking about? Answer to what?"

"Do you remember that day? It was raining...I remember it was raining very hard."

"That...day?"

"You were still ill. I found you here in the rain, remember?" Neji lifted his exotic eyes to meet hers tentatively. "I didn't know you were here at first. Your chakra – it was so faint...like someone who's dying. I can hardly feel it at all...even now."

TenTen's brow furrowed. "So? It's not that important, Neji."

"You _are_ dying, aren't you? On the inside." His hands tightened into fists. The girl's mouth opened to give an indignant retort, but he wasn't about to let her cut in. "You told me to find happiness – the happiness you thought you'd been cheated out of. Well, I've tried, TenTen, but I can't. I can't find it. Why? It's because of...you. _You're_ the one I can find happiness with, but now...We've grown so apart." Neji's voice quivered slightly. "TenTen...you said loving me was a mistake. Please...I want you to know that I realize how you were treated – how _wrong_ it was. If I could have a second chance..." The Hyuuga's touching words trailed off into silence.

TenTen had closed her eyes, trying to shut out the hurt. "You're asking me for a second chance?" she choked out finally.

"Ngh..." He turned away, knowing his pleas were about to be rejected. The wretchedness of it all...he could feel it bubbling up to a breaking point. "No." Neji's eyes closed half-way. "I couldn't ask that of you. I couldn't ever begin to deserve it. But...as I said before. I know the answer now. Do you remember yet? That day...you asked why you were precious to me – why should you stay?"

Neji suddenly whirled around and, in one swift motion, captured TenTen in a tender embrace. The girl was too dumbfounded to protest, which made it easier for him. Only for TenTen would the stoic Hyuuga ever show such a gentle side of himself...and even for her, it was still difficult for him to do. "I love you...I love you with all my heart, and I will never think that it's a mistake," he whispered into her silky tresses. "That's why I wanted you to stay...I just didn't know it then. I hope that one day, you can forgive me, and..." Neji wound his arms a little tighter around her. "I hope that you find someone you can care deeply for, someone who won't be a 'mistake'. I want you to be happy again."

TenTen's icy demeanor began to melt as his words struck deep into her heart. She couldn't hold it back anymore, it was too much. She was too overwhelmed. At first, only a few tears broke free, but the number steadily grew until they were too numerous to count. The girl's entire frame shuddered as she was overcome with weeping. It nearly broke Neji's heart to hear her. It took everything he had to not break down as well. "TenTen..." he pleaded miserably. "Please don't cry...you're...you're breaking my heart again..."

She clutched him tightly and shook her head. Her tears felt warm against his skin. The Hyuuga waited until her sobs had withered into silent tears to pull away. If he stayed any longer, he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle it. It was apparent that he'd only brought her more pain as feared. "Thank you, TenTen. Thank you for listening." Neji's pearlescent eyes darkened sadly as he turned to go. "As I promised, I will leave you now. You won't have to worry about seeing me anymore...please take care of yourself, since I cannot be the one to do so."

He was nearly out of hearing range when a quiet "Wait..." fell upon his ears. Neji slowly turned and found TenTen where he'd left her – her head hanging, cheeks flushed, the remnants of tears upon her eyelashes. "Is it too late?" Neji's puzzled expression only heightened her blush. "I mean...is it too late to come back?"

"Come back?" he repeated softly.

She nodded. "I didn't forget. What I said back then – I didn't forget...that was the answer I've wanted to hear for so long. And now that I finally have..." TenTen buried her face in her hands, trying to hide her misery. "After what had happened in Claw, I felt so alone...I wanted someone to hold me and tell me it would be alright..."

Neji looked down, unable to respond. He knew that that had been yet another thing he'd failed at.

"But I felt so dirty and disgusting...I felt repulsive...tainted. Who would want me?" she wept. "I'm sorry, Neji...I'm sorry things turned out this way...I'm sorry for everything..."

A strong pair of arms around her told TenTen that she'd been forgiven. And in silence, the pair held each other until her tears had ceased to flow. "I want you," he told her softly. "I would want you no matter what."

TenTen eyes brightened a little. The stars had faintly begun to shine in her soul once more. "Ah!" Neji exclaimed lightly. "TenTen...your chakra..."

"What? What's wrong with it?" she asked worriedly.

"I can feel it again..."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Viola! Happiness, right? Anyways...it's not quite over with yet! Time to tie up all those loose ends now. Phew! More poor fingers...**

'**Sanku to all you lovely reviewers - especially to Midnight Memories! I loved your review and definitely wouldn't shrug off advice from a more experienced author. As suggested, I added in an A/C disclaimer at the beginning of the story. The OOC-ness...yeah. I should have tried harder to keep them in line, but it would have been so hard to get what I wanted to say out! Guess I'll just keep trying though. Sorry for the grammatical errors too. I thought I got them all, but after re-reading the story I realized there were quite a few. Again, I apologize for that. The unbelievable twists? Well...yeah. I don't know what to say about that. :ashamed: However, thank you so much for the kind compliments you gave after the critique! I feel so encouraged, and not just by Midnight Memories either. All of you who have reviewed asking me to update soon – thank you so much! And to kiyomi – I'm glad I was able to convey the emotions well enough for you. **

**I'm very worried about this chapter though. If Neji was OOC before...it's nothing compared to this. I'm so sorry:ashamed: **

**Well, enough of my thoughts – time to start working on chapter 8! (If anyone still wants to read after this...) TT.TT**

**- Hikari**


	8. Looking Through Shattered Glass

**Chapter 8****: Looking Through Shattered Glass**

_Thwack-ck!!_

Two kunai landed side-by-side, dead in the middle of the mark. TenTen grinned as she leisurely twirled another in her hand, a little bit of pride shining through her large doe eyes. "Looks like you owe me some soba noodles, Lee. Oh, and for dessert – I'd like some...uh, how about dango? Yeah, that sounds good." The girl smirked mischievously as Lee sobbed, counting out the coins to pay for her lunch later. He'd obviously lost a bet just now.

"Ah, the joys of Youth..." sighed Gai dreamily. "TenTen!"

"Y-Yes, Gai-sensei?" she asked a little nervously. Who knew what this lunatic would want her to do now?

"Pick me up some celery after lunch! I need to eat properly in order to maintain my manly body. Kakashi can never outshine such godlike splendor that is me!"

"Uh, sure...I'll do that." TenTen had no idea why her teacher couldn't get it himself, but whatever. She tugged at her buns in slight irritation. Yes, she'd gone back to wearing her silky tresses in that signature style only she could pull off. It was all part of being a kunoichi after all, right? After nearly two years of being absent, TenTen had returned to the lifestyle she'd come to both love and excel in. It'd take a few weeks to get back in shape, but that was no big deal. Besides...now she could be with the people she loved most – her odd but amiable teacher, Gai; that bushy-browed clone of his, Lee; and most of all, that oh-so-stoic Hyuuga...

"Lee!"

"Yes, Gai-sensei!" He snapped into a rigid salute.

"In honor of TenTen's return, let us run to the summit of Hokage Mountain...five times!"

"Excellent idea, Gai-sensei! But may I suggest running it six times?!"

"Superb! However, we shall run it _seven_ times, just to celebrate the fact that you are in the prime of your Youth!"

TenTen's eye twitched. Yeah...that was one thing she hadn't really missed – those two and their apparent insanity. She watched as they took off sprinting. Good...now she wouldn't have anyone to bother her. Neji was unfortunately absent today, and it was her first day back too! What a jerk! _"Well, no..."_ she corrected herself. _"Hiashi probably had something for him to do again."_

The kunoichi smiled a bit. They (Neji and TenTen) hadn't seen each other since "the encounter" at her tree. It'd only been a few days, but the Hyuuga family head had been lobbing assignments to Neji left and right. It was quite annoying actually...and she wasn't even the one who had to carry out these menial tasks!

TenTen launched a handful of shuriken at another target, each projectile hitting the mark as expected. She sighed. Things seemed to be getting better now. Of course, the girl could never forget what had happened to her, but now...now she had someone to help her along. She had someone to hold her close and tell her it'd be alright. She had Neji. A curious bird flitted past her and landed on the post her target was nailed to. "I suppose...I suppose it was all in how I looked at it..." she murmured thoughtfully, her eyes softening into a distant stare. "Like looking through a broken window – everything's obscured and distorted, but things...things aren't always how they look at first, right?" The bird cheeped and ruffled its tawny feathers in reply. TenTen laughed. "You can't seem to see anything, until someone comes along to help you get rid of all that shattered glass. And once that broken window's been removed, everything is even clearer than before!" The bird cocked his head to one side curiously. "Yeah...you're right. It's a stupid analogy. But hey! I'm not known for my philosophical prowess, am I? I've got another name I've still gotta live up to."

"Are you talking to yourself...again?"

TenTen's heart jumped into her throat, but the girl hid it with a scowl as she whirled around. "What the hell do you mean '_again'_?! I hardly ever talk to myself – and like it's even that weird!"

Neji eyed her skeptically. "...Alright then."

"I swear! You have got to be the most –"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh...forget it!" she muttered walking over to him, changing the subject as she did so. "So, where have you been? It's not like you to miss training – well, unless that changed during my absence..."

"It didn't, but Hiashi asked me to escort Hinata and Hanabi somewhere...again."

"Oooh, fun!" she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Apparently, TenTen was beginning to get back to her old self again. It made Neji glad to see her happy, but from his stoic expression – one would never guess. The girl smiled and linked pinky fingers with him suddenly, swinging her hand and his just a little. "Thanks again, Neji. I think I'm really happy now..." she whispered.

The Hyuuga blushed furiously and looked away in what could be taken as annoyance, but it was more awkwardness than anything else. TenTen laughed – he was so cute when he was embarrassed! "I'm not looking through shattered glass anymore..." The kunoichi blushed and leaned in to plant a quick kiss on his cheek...which only made Neji's face turn a deeper shade of crimson. TenTen let go and turned to leave. "Phew! I'm starving! All this training has really given me an appetite again. Hey, Neji?"

The Hyuuga struggled to regain his composure. "Hn?"

"Would you help me train later? I think I need some help...you know, like how we used to do it?"

He nodded absentmindedly. TenTen smirked. It looked like Neji had returned to his customary stoic airs again...but she knew better. "Neji?"

"Hn?"

"I love you..." Her voice was quiet and small, the hint of a blush gracing her cheeks.

The Hyuuga looked up and gave her a small smile – one that was meant for her and would only ever be hers alone. "And I you."

TenTen's heart skipped a beat. Those words would never grow old. "Let's go Neji. I'm hungry and you've got to walk me around today since Lee isn't here. Remember? You've got to 'ensure the safety of your teammates'! Who knows? I might get attacked on the way to the restaurant..."

Neji's mouth frowned, but his eyes told her otherwise. "Fine..." he said begrudgingly, using this as an excuse for taking her hand in his own. "You'd most likely get lost anyways."

As the pair walked off into the heart of Konoha, TenTen knew that things would definitely begin to brighten up again. Her heart felt light and the aching that had taken residence was gone. She clutched Neji's hand, relishing in its gentleness and warmth. _"I've found my happiness...and I've found it with you, Hyuuga Neji...You're the one I've found, the one I can care deeply for. I should have known better - you could never be a mistake..."_

The two walked off together, hand in hand for the moment, but their hearts entwined forever. And in the far off distance, one could faintly make out the sillouhetted figures of a certain pair of shinobi – still on their first voyage up Hokage Mountain. Ah, the joys of Youth...

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**The End**

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_dango --> rice dumplings_

**Phew! It's finally done! I had a hard time thinking up an ending to this story, and I'm not really sure I'm completely satisfied with this one. Hm...I might end up revising it later on. It just felt bland to me. Anyways, I tried to stifle the OOC-ness this chapter, but who knows? Ah well, practice makes perfect. **

**Thanks again to all you reviewers/readers! I really felt encouraged by all the compliments and the constructive criticism - I'm so grateful! For future fanfics, I shall work on the OOC-ness and grammatical correctness (since that's what needs to be worked on most I think...) xP **

**Well, thanks again for reading:3**

**- Hikari**


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